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Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Broken Arm

Yesterday started out so well. Isaiah and I were twinning it up, wearing our shirts for the last day that Go Shout Love would be shouting love for him. We were having a great time playing; he had been drinking from his cup by himself(!), and the day was going well.

Lunch time came quickly so I turned on Isaiah's favorite music video to entertain him while I prepped lunch. While cutting sweet potatoes, Isaiah started screaming that scream and I just knew. I ran out to him, looked him over, and couldn't figure it out right away. I know he often rolls around and dances during the song that was playing so I had a good idea that he had to have hurt one of his limbs. I picked him up carefully and he calmed pretty quickly so I thought maybe I overreacted. I put him in his adaptive stroller to have him join me in the kitchen. While the potatoes were cooking, I pulled out Isaiah's toy to entertain him. That's when I noticed it; he was self-splinting his right arm. He wasn't using at all and that's the arm he predominately uses.

Sigh.

Since he was content for the moment, I tried to get him to eat lunch but he wouldn't eat more than a few bites. He started to get agitated. I tried to give him his pain medicine but he spit it out at me and went into full fledged hysterics. I then moved him to his room to start splinting him, hoping to start controlling the pain that I could tell he was in. I thought I was prepared...I had cotton rolls. I had coflex. I would figure a way to immobilize his arm and put it to his chest at a ninety degree angle...

I knew what to do, but actually doing it? Doing it to a crying hysterical baby? My baby? That lived inside of me for 9 months? With zero pain meds? Ugh. I tried the pain meds one more time, knowing I was running low, and he yet again spit them out.

I gave up on the medicine for the time being. I looked at him and said "Buddy, we have to do this. If I can get your arm wrapped, it won't hurt as much, ok?"

But I sucked at it. I sucked big time. I couldn't figure out how to wrap over Isaiah's shoulder. He was screaming. I started the splint in the middle of the bone that I was confident was broken, which is very dangerous for that fragile bone.

I had asked for help from the OI community....I started going over everything they were posting. It's not easy trying to learn how to do something when your baby is screaming in pain.

Those OI parents are awesome.

Moms started sending me tons of photos. All involving stuff called Surgilast, the cotton rolls, and ace bandages. We didn't have any ace bandages, specifically because Isaiah's Ortho doesn't like using them...but man, I wanted ace bandages.

I unrolled Isaiah's coflex off his arm. I calmed him. I got him to take some Infant Advil....at least it was something.

I took out one of Isaiah's old mattresses (that we used to carry him on back when he was on his machines 24/7) and put him on it. I rolled a receiving blanket and wrapped it around him, tightly, clipping it with a chip clip.

Yup. A chip clip.

I was desperate to immobilize that arm. In his screaming, he was moving it and that wasn't safe for him.

The doorbell rang. My fantastic neighbor was checking in on us because we've been quiet the past few days. (I love our neighbors.) I greeted her with Isaiah on his mattress...she knew instantly that something was wrong. I immediately asked if she had any Ace bandages.

She did!

She ran home to get them and I messaged a fellow OI mom asking if she could FaceTime.

Once my neighbor was back, and we were FaceTiming, I learned how to properly splint Isaiah's arm...with the help of Little Red Ryker's mom and his cardboard cut out:

My neighbor and I got him splinted. Isaiah quickly settled, took a bottle (!), and fell asleep for nap time.

When he woke, he finally took his actual pain medicine meant to help with breaks...

And was in a much better place!

I'd rather not have to use the Ace bandage, since that isn't very breathable, but luckily another OI mom had some Surgilast and is overnighting it to us since I couldn't find the right size when I was first searching on Amazon (I was searching while Isaiah was screaming); it should be here some time today.

Once things were calm, I was able to find the proper size of Surgilast (as that will be much more breathable), confirmed it with the OI mom that I FaceTimed with, and it should be here by Friday.

I am so grateful.

I am grateful to Dave for believing in me...he didn't run home to help, although I am sure he was dying to.

I'm grateful for Dr. B and his quick emailing/supporting me/putting in a prescription for more pain medicine for Isaiah so that he'll be comfortable over the next few days as he heals.

I am grateful for my OI family for being there to teach and support me. So many moms offered advice (OI moms and non-OI moms) on how to get Isaiah to take his meds and to splint...even sending pictures of their kids' splints from the past.

Thera took time out of her day to help me, to teach me. Thank you. You are the reason Isaiah is comfortable.

Brianna went out of her way to the post office to mail me Surgilast. Thank you for giving me the proper materials.

Melissa and Casey W... The blowing in Isaiah's face while I got the meds in his mouth is what finally got him to swallow it. Thank you for that trick.

I am grateful for my wonderful neighbor, Marly, who obviously heard God's call that I needed help and answered it...she not only had the supplies I could use but also helped me splint Isaiah, and that is not an easy task.

And all the support and prayers from SO many people...friends, family, the ladies at Go Shout Love and their followers along with the fantastic followers of OI Believe in Isaiah. Thank you.

And I am grateful...soooo grateful... that God gave me the strength I needed yesterday. I didn't break down like I would in the past. I was strong for Isaiah.

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Do You Believe?

Welcome to our Blog!

Hello! My name is Vicky. My husband, Dave, and I started this blog to share the latest news about our son, Isaiah, and his condition. He was born on August 11, 2013; he has Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), which is commonly known as brittle bone disease. He has type III, which is one of the most severe forms that you can live with.

I write to share our story, to share Isaiah's LIFE, and to spread awareness of OI.

We were recommended to terminate our pregnancy when the OI was first discovered. My hope is that if another couple is blessed with an OI baby, and they happen to Google, that they will be brought here and shown that miracles do happen and that OI is no show-stopper.